Uchiki Koneko
by candiee.twirls
Summary: When Hamasaki Setsuna and Hanabusa Aido finally meet, the connection between them is building despite their differences. But when Setsuna's diagnosed with cancer, the very secret she is keeping may ruin their love and break both their hearts.
1. Lurking in Shadows

**A/N: I do not own Vampire Knight in any way, it has come from Matsuri Hino-sensei's mind and only from Hino-sensei's mind. I do own Hamasaki Setsuna, though. ^w^**

**I hope this is good, and I hope I get quite a bit of views and reviews. If you're reading this now, please continue on to the story below. Thank you ^o^**

**Please rate, review, and if you want, message me about what you want to happen next.**

* * *

The hands of the clock tic away at the hours spent sitting behind the desk of the classroom. The daylight dwindled away, leaving only an hour before twilight, when the Night Class and Day Class would pass each other.

Setsuna's fingers drummed against the desk in quite an annoying manner to her deskmate, whose name she couldn't remember. She would remember timestamps and dates of which her tasks were assigned by the Hunter's Association, but names she wasn't too good with if the person was unimportant. One hand brushed her long, silky, waist length jet black hair back. Her cat-like emerald eyes were shadowed by the bangs cut neatly across her forehead.

"Could you please stop that annoying tapping?" The girl beside her asked in an annoyed whisper.

"No thanks," Setsuna retorted, earning her a good glare from the girl. She shrugged off the look and twisted a lock of hair with her fingers.

"Stupid bitch," the girl hissed.

"Fuck you." Setsuna made no mistake she had a disdain for the girl now. She was never the type to be around the bush. It was alway blunt and straightforward.

"That's it for today's class. Don't forget the homework," the teacher glared from behind his desk.

"Finally," Setsuna let out a breath as she got up, stretched her arms out, and slung her bag over her shoulder before walking out.

"Kyaaa, the Night Class's coming out!" Many girls squealed.

* * *

"Tsk, time to cross paths," Setsuna grumbled. Unlike most, this Day Class female despised the Night Class. To the others, they were beautiful, forbidden students of Cross Academy. To her, they were blood sucking vermin that didn't deserve the Earth to walk upon.

Just watching them trample the Prefect Cross Yuuki made Setsuna scowl.

"Stay back!" Yuuki tried to scream from underneath the hoards, but it made no effort, as always.

"Pfft," Setsuna scoffed.

The gates creaked as they opened to reveal the elite Night Class students. The ones with their names know to all stood in front. Kuran Kaname, Pureblood and Dorm President. He was the one who reached out a hand to Yuuki whenever things like this happened.

"Are you alright?" He always asked that. No matter what, he seemed to enjoy having Yuuki by his side.

Ichijou Takuma, Vice-President and grandson of Ichiou of the Council. His grandfather was one of the most feared figures of both the human and Vampire world. So how would someone like that have a grandson as bright and hyper-active as Ichijou? His smiles were too... human.

Souen Ruka, the one head over heels for Kuran. She was the rude, stuck up, snotty nosed brat that believed to be better than all the other girls head over heels for Kuran.

Akatsuki Kain, the Vampire that never dressed properly. His hair was always "Wild", and his black collared shirt was almost never fully buttoned.

Shiki Senri and Touya, two models that have appeared all over magazines. They're gorgeous, like most of the Night Class, but they seem to keep to themselves and their Aristocratic circle of seven, eight including Seiren.

Seiren, the one seeming to be serving under Kuran. Setsuna really had no reading on her, except that she always obeyed Kaname.

And then, last was Aido Hanabusa, with his golden yellow locks and piercing blue eyes. Setsuna stared at his eyes as he flirted with the girls. He apparently loved showing off and being cocky, and he seemed to have Kuran scolding him most of the time for breaking some sort of rule.

"Stupid Vampire…s," she mumbled. Her green eyes followed him as he mingled, asking the girls their blood types. A few jealous shrieks emerged, but she didn't care. She usually heard them from her Dorm room anyways; but never before coming to the Academy. She felt exceedingly tired just then.

"Go back to your Dorms! Making a fuss with all your 'Kyah! Kyah! Kyah!' Who has to work to keep it all under control?" She listened as Kiryuu Zero, the other half of the Prefect pair finally presented himself. Shrugging as the blonde vampire left, she slid down from the high branch and found herself wandering back to her Dorms.

On her way back, she kept wondering why her chest tensed whenever Aido Hanabusa crossed her mind.

"I must be crazy."

* * *

In classes, the Prefect Duo had fallen asleep and earned themselves supplementary classes.

"Those two are always asleep," the teacher had said earlier.

Setsuna had seen the chaos that the girls created **with **the two there. Imagine it **without** the two of them there.

"Too bad," Setsuna whispered to herself. As the bell rang, every other girl rushed to see the Night Class. Setsuna lagged behind a little.

Screams and squeals emerged as Setsuna passed by the chaotic crowds of crazy girls.

"Ahaaa!" Setsuna had actually laughed at the scene. Aido was freaking out, and the Night Classers were surprised that the Prefects had not shown themselves yet.

"Where are Cross and Kiyruu?" Aido shouted.

"Supplementary classes!" Setsuna shouted back.

"Alright everybody! Settle down!" Yuuki yelled.

"Speak of the devil," Setsuna scoffed before walking off, her bag slung behind her and her free hand in her pocket.

As the night approached, instead of returning to her Dorm as normal, Setsuna wandered into the forest after ditching her school bag on the side of the path. She crept along the shadows, stalking two girls that had come with a camera.

"Oww!" The one with short hair squirmed.

Her left knee had scraped and began to bleed, causing Yuuki, who had caught up with them, to make a frantic scene and rush them away. Yuuki had swung down from the branch, and Setsuna had seen a flash of blood from her palm, where the tree had apparently scraped her.

"You two are defying Academy rules, being out of your Dorms at night!" Yuuki tugged on her Prefect arm-band for emphasis.

"We just wanted to take a few pictures of the Night Class! Just let us get those!" The girl with longer hair pleaded unconvincingly. The other girl was kneeling, covering her scraped knee with a napkin.

"You... you're hurt! Hurry, get out of here!" Yuuki shouted, trying to shove the two away.

Then, Aido appeared with his cousin, Akatsuki. Yuuki had used her oh-so-**not**-scary rod to try and fend them off before seeing it was the cousins of the Night class.

"Scary..." Kain mocked, grabbing the rod and pushing it down slightly. "The Headmaster has trained you well," he smirked. Aido just sniffed the air.

"Shit," Setsuna muttered. She froze in her tracks and swung herself up onto a branch. Her chest tightened again at the sight of Aido. What was wrong with her? Was she sick?

"Aido, get out of here!" Yuuki shouted.

"Such a nice smell..." Aido muttered.

"Aido, if you touch these girls..." Yuuki almost-hissed, if she hadn't looked so scared.

"Did you fall? The nice smell… is you, Yuuki," Aido said, grabbing Yuuki's hand. Setsuna flinched at the contact between the two. He pulled the Prefect closer and brought her hand to his lips, piercing her palm with his sharp fangs and drawing blood.

"Aido..." Yuuki growled.

"Vampire?" One girl screamed.

"B-but those don't exist!" The other shouted.

"I want more…" Aido murmured. "May I partake from your neck?" He asked, shifting his body to hold her wrist from behind her.

The two girls shrieked and fainted at the action.

A shuffle of the leaves and a breeze was there just as quickly as Zero appeared, Bloody Rose in hand.

"Drinking blood on Campus is strictly forbidden," Zero said in a stern voice, pressing the gun against Aido's head.

Just to tempt him, Aido taunted, "But I've already tasted her." It worked the way he expected; Zero shot at Aido. Yuuki had gotten in the way just when Setsuna found herself about to jump in between the two. Her hand had pushed the gun up above, and the shot had fired at a tree.

"Would you put away your Bloody Rose gun? It's a great threat to us," Kuran said as he emerged. "I'll take care of this idiot and wait for the Headmaster's instructions."

Setsuna spat. Kuran, once again, had come to save the day. She was done watching. With one last glance over her shoulder at Aido, she dropped and ran back to her room.

* * *

That day of classes was especially long and boring. She didn't pay attention throughout the whole lecture each teacher had given. She had left hand in her pocket, fiddling with the ribbon on the small box of chocolates she had spent all of last night slaving over the kitchen for and in her room decorating till six. Ironic, for she had always slapped or injured a boy for making a racist joke about how females shouldn't be Hunters and should just go back to the kitchen. Now, all she had to do was finish cleaning the kitchen if someone else hadn't already done so, and figure out who to give the box.

"Setsuna! Wake up!" The teacher scolded when Setsuna had fallen asleep for a minute on her desk.

Snickers emerged from many people.

"Ugnn," Setsuna groaned.

The end of Valentine's Day was approaching. Classes had been let out, and girls had trampled over each other to make it to the gates of the Moon Dorms. There, they lined up in rows for the Night Classer they were giving chocolates to. Setsuna didn't bother getting in line. Nobody wanted to get close to her, and she didn't want to get close to them. She watched the whole event from the sidelines, leaning against the wall closest to her. Her arms and legs cross as the girls shrieked. She could still feel the chocolates in her pocket, and an urge to go up and give it to Aido.

"Stupid box..." She grumbled as she pulled out the small container.

"Hamasaki, don't you have chocolate for them?" Girls screamed at her. A few of the Night Classers accepting chocolate from the girls that screamed stared at her. Setsuna just glared back with piercing emerald green eyes hidden behind her blunt cut across her forehead. She fiddled with the crimson red ribbon as the girls giggled with each other. Aido asked a girl her blood type just before Yuuki came and separated the two. That's when Setsuna took her leave, shoving the box back into her pocket.

"Hamasaki-san, aren't you giving the Night Class chocolates?" Yuuki called out as Setsuna leaved. She could feel the prying eyes of some Vampires boring holes into her.

"Oh my God," she growled. "Fine, here!" She shouted back to Yuuki but cringed from the harshness in her tone, chucking the box of chocolates from her pocket right at Aido's head. He had caught it right before it hit his eye.

"Thanks!" He grinned before going back to the other girls.

"Don't thank me," Setsuna spat before whipping herself around and stalking away. Her jet black hair flew around her as she strode off towards the Sun Dorms, her shoes clanking loudly in the silence against the stone paved path.

"Glad I got it over with..." She grumbled, though her cheeks were flushing red.

Setsuna threw her uniform jacket over the coat rack and started stripping down, rummaging through her closet to find a nightgown. She came to a simple pastel pink one that fell above the knee and just to her thigh, with bows and lace lining the nightgown. A special gift, but from whom Setsuna couldn't remember just then. Her head throbbed as she threw that onto the bed before walking off into the shower.

She lathered the citrus scented shampoo into her hair before rinsing it out and rubbing on conditioner.

"Stupid Aido," she grumbled, her eyes closed and her head tilted back to expose her bare neck.

Far off, Aido sneezed three times.

"Hanabusa, are you okay?" Akatsuki questioned.

"I'm," he sneezed once more, "just fine."

As Setsuna ran her hands through her washed damp hair, she grabbed a brush and began running it through her hair. She was wearing the nightgown she had strewn across the bed earlier. Every time she closed her eyes, she could only see the flirtatious smile of Aido or the 'Bam!' movement he did every time. Remembering that, her head started throbbing.

"Damned Vampires, every last one of you." Setsuna sprawled herself onto her bed, her long legs hanging just off the sides of the bed as she popped two Tylenol into her mouth and chased it down with a glass of water. She laid an arm over her eyes and drifting into a drug-numbed slumber. Except this time, the nightmares were replaced with images of her loved ones. Her mother, her father, her younger brother, her older brother. And in that mix, Aido popped up quite a few times. Despite that, she smiled as she fell asleep.

It must have been quite a long time since she slept like that.

* * *

**So, that's Lurking in Shadows, Chapter One of Uchiki Koneko for you. I'll try and update weekly, but if I haven't posted in a week, I'm busy because of school.**


	2. The Kitten Strikes

**A/N: So here's the second chapter. I know I promised one per week, but I couldn't resist updating when I have free time. ^w^**

**Have fun reading!**

**(P.S. Expect some explicit content sometime in the future, so just be careful with parental units around.) :)**

* * *

Though sleeping oh-so well the night before, she woke up grumpy because of her roommate. The damned girl was always up sometime before seven.

"Shut... up!" She shouted, chucking a book on her nightstand at the girl's head and hitting it straight on.

"Ahh! What was that for?" She whined, tears forming in her eyes.

"Stop waking up so early! I swear I'll kill you someday." Setsuna glared at her before burying her head into her pillow and falling back asleep.

"Ugn… stupid P.E…." Setsuna grumbled as she galloped away on the horse. After falling back asleep that morning, she woke up once more at seven thirty to a cold glass of water in her face. Stupid roommates.

"Eyahh! Help!"

Shouts and screams had emerged as apparently, White Lily, had escaped. But not before kicking Yuuki in the ass, which made Setsuna burst into a fit of laughter. A few students eyed her as if she were crazy.

"You're ruining my nap..." Zero grumbled as White Lily jumped over him. He grabbed the reins and pulled himself up, calming speaking to the horse.

"Wow… Zero tamed White Lily," a few girls gossiped together as Zero rode silently on the horse.

"Showoff," Setsuna muttered before dismounting the house and walking him to the stable.

"This is why Zero's the only guy in the Day Class that can stare fearlessly at Kuran-senpai." Many Day Class boys smiled and gleamed at Zero's courage. She shook her head, putting the horse she was riding back into his stable.

"Good Soleil," she purred, petting the horse's gold mane. "You're so beautiful," she whispered into his ear, feeding him a carrot.

Soleil had been the only horse she wanted to ride ever since she first laid eyes on him. He was large, fast, had a large golden mane, and a seet honey colored coat.

Her cell phone vibrated and rang in her boot, singing out a depressing ringtone. She sighed and flipped it open.

"What is it now," Setsuna said in not a questioning tone, but an annoyed tone.

"Hamasaki-sama, there's an order for you to kill a Level E. He's to appear in town tomorrow."

"I see…. Very well then. I'll be on it," Setsuna replied to the man talking to her through cell phone. A beep signaled the call had ended.

The rest of classes had been very dull, and the routinely screams at twilight were especially annoying that day.

* * *

She was swiftly changing into a skin-tight black tank top, a par of black leggings, and high knee-length boots, in which she put two hunting blades. She threw on the Academy trench coat, thrusting in a whip to the inner pocket. In her waist belt was a sword spelled to kill Vampires, like all the other weapons hidden around the room.

"Yeah?" She flipped open the phone on the first ring.

"The Level E is appearing soon," the man ordered.

"Already on it." Setsuna flipped closed the phone and shoved it into her coat.

It had taken a little longer than expected to climb the unstable tree towering over the gates guarding the Academy. Once she was out, she started sprinting for the town.

As soon as Setsuna arrived into a noisy alley, she laid eyes on Zero and Yuuki, fighting off her assignment.

"Damned…" She grumbled before pulling out the sword and striding up behind the monster.

As she raised her arms to strike, she ended up severing the Level E in half at the same time as Ichijou Takuma.

"You didn't even need me..." Shiki mumbled.

"Ichijo Takuma and Shiki Senri of the Night Class... and Hamasaki Setsuna-san of the Day Class!" Yuuki gaped. "What are you doing here? Why did you kill the vampire-"

"Hush, Yuuki. Go get your wound treated, your blood is too provocative for us. Come to the Moon Dorms tonight, and we'll explain everything," Ichijou smiled, a finger against his lips.

"You took my assignment." She mumbled.

"Setsuna-chan, you can come too! It's my birthday party, and I would love to have a Day Classer there with me," Ichijou beamed at Setsuna.

"How did you get my... oh. Cross-san said my name." She swore under her breath. "But... I'm not allowed on the Moon Campus."

"Just accompany Zero and Yuuki," Shiki mumbled.

"Hamasaki is not going to the party, Ichijou." Zero groaned.

At that moment, her cell phone rang.

"Yeah?" She grumbled into the phone.

"Hamasaki, did you get the Level E?"

"Yeah yeah. Two Aristocrats are here too."

"Which ones?"

"Shiki Senri and Ichijou Takuma."

"Ichijou Takuma as in Ichijou Asato's grandson?"

"Yeah... why?" Setsuna raised an eyebrow at her boss over the phone, though she doubted he could see.

"No reason. Just... become friends with them, okay?" He didn't give her time to reply before hanging up. He was planning something, and Setsuna knew it.

"Who was it?" Yuuki asked.

"None of your business," Setsuna said before turning to Ichijou. "So uh... is that offer still up? For your birthday?"

"Yes!" He smiled enthusiastically.

"I'll go..." She mumbled shyly. "She had never really been to parties, only to monitor the major Vampire soirées. So was she supposed to dress formally? "I'll see you four later tonight then, I guess..." she walked away, waving behind her shoulder when one of them called out to her.

* * *

"So..." Setsuna blushed bright red as she put on the dressy top. It was scarlet red, strapless, and other than being a little tight around her breasts, it fell down loosely over her lower abdomen. She had put on a pair of jeans that snuggly hugged her legs and butt, and showed off her figure too. Her hair was wavy from being tied into a bun after she had washed it earlier that day, cascading in waves down her back.

"Why're you all dressed up? Hot date or what?" Her roommate teased, upside down on her own bed and reading a fashion magazine.

"None of your business," Setsuna retorted before grabbing the small knife and shoving it into her pocket. She was sure her roommate didn't see the weapon. "See ya," she mumbled before leaving.

As she arrived on the campus, she saw Yuuki and Zero, Zero preparing his gun. Yuuki was shouting at him to stop.

"Hello..." she mumbled, walking up closer to the two.

"Hi there Hamasaki-san," Yuuki smiled.

A breeze fell upon the three of them, and it grew quiet. Setsuna brought a hand to her pocket, thrusting out a knife just as Zero and Yuuki brought out theirs.

"We're just your escorts..." Aido said, his hands raised as if in surrender.

"Ichijou-san told us to escort you to the party so that nobody harms you," Kain added. The three of them put their weapons away and followed Aido, who was in the front and Kain lagged behind. Behind Aido stood Setsuna, and behind Setsuna stood Yuuki. Zero was behind Yuuki, looking down at her protectively.

"Ichijou, we've brought them," Kain said, ushering the three of them forward.

"Yuuki, Zero, Setsuna! Welcome to my party!" Ichijou beamed, breaking the awkward stares the five of them were getting from other Night Classers.

"Thank you for having me," Setsuna bowed out of habit. "It's so... extravagant."

"No need to bow, Setsuna-chan! I'm glad to have you," Ichijou smiled and handed her a drink. Setsuna graciously accepted it and sipped, finding it fizzing in her mouth. Champagne, no doubt.

"What did you want me to come here for?" Setsuna inquired quietly.

"Actually, we wanted to know why you were in town," Zero answered.

"I wanted to know why you were taking my job," Setsuna added.

"You're... job?" Yuuki asked, all confused.

"You... really don't know?" Setsuna was taken aback. She was expecting Yuuki to have already known about Hunters and why she was in town. "Oh... wow. You really are clueless, Cross-san."

* * *

**Sooo...**

**End of Chappie 2.**

**:)**

**I'll update again soon.**

**I love those of you reading this. And those of you that aren't, READ AND RATE AND MESSAGE? :)**


	3. The Ricocheting Bullet

**A/N: Two chapters in a day. ^3^ I'm so proud.**

**I'm getting the basic chapters out of the way -cough- the boring ones -cough- =^^=**

**So enjoy Chapter Three, The Ricocheting Bullet!**

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* * *

**

"I wanted to know why you were taking my job," Setsuna added.

"You're... job?" Yuuki asked, all confused.

"You... really don't know?" Setsuna was taken aback. She was expecting Yuuki to have already known about Hunters and why she was in town. "Oh... wow. You really are clueless, Cross-san."

"Either way... there's no way we could let that dangerous Vampire roam around town, but you three went to the trouble of hunting it down and killing it. Why that Vampire?" Yuuki asked, her expression stern. Setsuna sighed, her fingers pressed up to her temple.

"That Vampire used to be human. Filthy things," Aido said, his face contorted into a disgusted expression.

"Yuuki, Vampires are ruled by a few Purebloods and a handful of Nobles. Every student in the Night Class is a Noble or higher," Ichijo began to explain.

"Purebloods are few in numbers but at the top of the Vampire pyramid. Nobles are just below them. Common Vampires are the average Vampire found hidden around town, but Former humans are lower than Common Vampires. They're treated badly," Setsuna added.

"The one Setsuna-chan and I killed was a Level E, a vampire that had fallen outside of the pyramid," Ichijou finished.

"Level E?" Yuuki asked.

"'Level: End', to be exact. Kiyruu and Hamasaki are members of Hunter families, so they should know all this," Kain said.

Setsuna could see the confusion in Yuuki's face, which made her realize she seriously knew nothing of the Vampire and Hunter world.

"Former humans eventually fall to the Level E category, Yuuki. They gradually lose their sanity reaching the 'end'; their destruction." So Zero wasn't an idiot after all. There was a wisp of respect Setsuna felt for him because he came from the Kiyruu family, but nothing more.

"Yes, in their endless thirst for blood, they start attacking people indiscriminately," Ichijo said, his face blank. "That's why former humans are managed by Nobles and above."

"Excuse me, but that's a Hunters' job," Setsuna scoffed.

"Hunters manage them as well," Ichijou added quickly to keep Setsuna pleased.

"M-managed...?" Yuuki asked.

"But incidents do occur. A mad vampire may flee from a Noble and wander into human society," Ichijou said before Setsuna noticed Kuran had made his entrance.

"There was a report a Level E would appear in town today," Kuran said as he revealed himself. "Ichijou and Shiki hunted it down under my orders." As he pulled aside the curtain, he revealed Seiren was also there.

Many whispers arose from the other Vampires at the sight of Kaname.

"Kaname!" Yuuki exclaimed. "You ordered... that Vampire to be..." She began.

"Yuuki. Why didn't you inform the Headmaster?" Kaname asked. His expression was neutral. "You're a member of the Disciplinary Committee, yet when Ichijou invited you, you came to a dangerous place like this, and brought Hamasaki Setsuna-san with you as well."

"But!" Yuuki tried to interject. "I didn't think it was something I should report... and I wanted to know the truth firsthand..."

"Yuuki, Kiyruu, Hamasaki-san, come over here," Kaname ordered.

"I'm just fine down here, thank you very much Kuran-senpai," Setsuna said, putting a little emphasis on the honorific.

While that earned her a few glares, she ignored them and watched as Yuuki and Zero ascended the staircase.

"Yuuki, sit beside me," Kaname said.

"Huh? ...no thanks," Yuuki stuttered, her cheeks flushing red. Many students glared at her. Yuuki took a peek at Zero before adding on, "I'm fine."

"Yuuki," Kaname repeated, and there wasn't room for objection this time. It was a direct order from someone who knew he was calling the shots.

Yuuki sat down beside him shyly before Kaname put a firm hand on her shoulder, pulling her close towards him.

"Did you injure your arm because of that Vampire? It must hurt," Kaname said to Yuuki as he grasped her arm. He had been telling her that he never knew she would be there, and it was also her fault for wandering around.

"No, it was because I was careless..." Yuuki mumbled, her cheeks flushed.

"Humans should never be turned into Vampires... but in the old days, when the war between Vampires and Vampire Hunters was at its peak, Vampires turned humans into Vampires to use in battle."

Setsuna tuned out for a while and began to talk with Aido, but noticed Kaname began to un-bandage Yuuki's arm. Their chatter was nonsense, about the weather, what they got Ichijou, and Aido had even complimented Setsuna to the point she was cherry red.

And it was then when Kaname began to kiss Yuuki's wound, earning him a slight protest from Yuuki.

"Alright, when it gets all lovey-dovey, mushy gushy, dramatic and shit, I'm done. Thank you for having me, Ichijou-san," Setsuna bowed towards him.

"Not a problem, I hope you enjoyed yourself Setsuna-chan!" He beamed as he waved her off.

"Bye," she mumbled to Aido as she left, bumping shoulders with him. She flashed him a slight grin before leaving and wriggled her fingers to signal goodbye. Aido smiled and waved back discreetly.

Though Setsuna was a fair distance away, she could still hear the conversations.

"Perhaps, Kiyruu... you sympathized with him?" Kaname asked. Setsuna turned around to see that the statement had ended with Zero's Bloody Rose being held up to his forehead and Seiren's hands at Zero's neck. Every Night Classer glared at Zero, and a few had their hands in their pockets, which were most likely holding weapons. She could still see Aido as she whipped herself around so she was walking backwards. Her vision of Aido grew blurred by trees as she reached the gates of the Moon Dorms.

A figure bumped past Setsuna as she strolled slowly back to her Dorms. The figure was headed for the small pool of water. He had his hand in his hair and his other hand pulling at his shirt.

"Kiryuu?" Setsuna mumbled, before shrugging it off and continuing to walk.

As she got closer to the Dorms, a gun's safety clicked. She quickly strode back towards where she had come from, trying to make as little noise as possible. Then, as she got closer, a gunshot sounded. She could hear the sound of the bullet ricocheting off the bottom of the pool of water. Through trees, Setsuna strained her sight to see that a familiar figure stood over Yuuki and Zero in the water.

"Yagari..." Setsuna muttered, her cheeks tinted pink.

* * *

It had been a whole day since Ichijou's party, and Setsuna had been tired, though she didn't know why. Her knees were hugged up against her chest, her arms held around them to keep herself upright. She was lost deep in thought. Setsuna had skipped all her classes, staying in her room and sleeping most of the day away.

Why was Yagari at the Academy? It had been three years since the last time she had seen and talked to him. She had been chaperoning a function held by the Nobles, and Yagari was her partner for the assignment. At that time, Setsuna was 14 and had heard so much about Toga Yagari being the #1 Vampire Hunter that she had developed what most would call a crush on him, but had gotten over it in the years she hadn't seen him.

"Why did you have to come back now..." she mumbled to herself. She buried her head into her arms as she sat quietly. She could feel her cheeks redden with embarrassment. She took a sniff and realized she hadn't showered yet, which helped her push herself up onto her feet and walk around. As she walked into the washroom, she looked into the mirror and turned around in a circle. Just for fun.

"Ugh, I'm filthy," Setsuna grumbled and basically ripped off the night gown and throwing it into the hamper before shedding her underwear and bra and stepping into the warm shower. Underneath the sprays of the water, she did her thinking. What would she do if she crossed paths with Yagari?

"What about my issue with Aido..." She grumbled, pissed off as she lathered her hair. "Stupid bastard has to be so... damned... just so damned attractive... Vampire genes..." Setsuna rinsed out what was left of the shampoo and conditioned. Setsuna stepped out of the shower, grabbing a towel and drying herself off. Setsuna stared into the foggy mirror, waiting for it to clear out and reveal to her a plain girl, okay facial proportions, a great body, piercing green eyes that showed no emotion, and plain black hair. How she longed to do something else with herself, to become pretty for once, despite the fact she was a Vampire Hunter. Zero's mother had been a hunter, but she had been gorgeous. Setsuna had seen picutes of her recorded in the Hunters' Association records. Looking into the mirror, she seemed paler than normal. And then she noticed that she was thinner than normal.

"So ugly..." she mumbled as she tugged a brush through her hair. Her phone rang off in the annoying song her roommate hated.

"Yeah?" Setsuna grumbled.

"You missed a job, lazy ass." The voice on the line was annoyed.

"I was showering, dumb ass," Setsuna retorted.

"Either way, turn your phone on louder then. We don't want anyone dying on your watch, now do we?"

"No, sir. Bye," she mumbled before hanging up and flopping down. She pinched the bridge of her nose, trying to sooth the pounding in her head.

* * *

**As you can see, I've edited the whole end of The Ricocheting Bullet. :)**


	4. No Turning Back

**A/N: Soooo. ****Uchiki Koneko.**

**Keep Reading. ;)**

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* * *

**In the morning, as Setsuna woke up, she noticed a sharp pain shoot through her left knee. Sitting on the side of her bed to examine her knee, she noticed the joint had swelled.

"Just a bit of swelling," she reassured herself.

"Setsuna, want to get some food?" Her roommate asked. "They have pancakes."

Just the image of food made Setsuna want to puke. "No thanks, I'm not hungry."

"But just yesterday you scarfed down five plates of pancakes and scrambled eggs."

"I said I'm not damned hungry, so just go on and eat."

"Alright, see ya," she waved before leaving.

"I should really learn her name," Setsuna grumbled before slipping into the bathroom. Stepping onto the scale, she blinked twice and rubbed her eyes to make sure she was seeing right.

"Fuck, one hundred and two?" She mumbled. Just last week she was a hundred and twenty five, a healthy weight. Was she anorexic? She shrugged it off and quickly got dressed, only to find her clothes hung on her looser than last week.

* * *

In class, Setsuna yawned. She had this gloomy tiredness looming over her all day, every day, ever since last month.

"Hamasaki-san, are you alright?" the Prefect asked Setsuna.

"I'm fine," she snapped. But Setsuna knew Yuuki was just trying to be considerate. When she left, the mirror reflected a face she didn't recognize. Replacing her healthy tan was a paleness to her skin and dark circles under her eyes she never had before.

"Cross-san, Hamasaki-san, what seems to be the problem?" The teacher asked.

"Setsuna-san seems sick, may I escort her to the nurse?" Yuuki asked, standing up with an arm raised.

"Hm. If Hamasaki-san isn't feeling well, then go ahead. But I think that Kiryuu-san should do it. Cross-san, you're already behind on work." That last sentence earned Yuuki a few giggles, causing her to sink back into her seat.

"C'mon," Zero groaned as Setsuna stood up and followed him to the nurse. "What were you and Yuuki whispering about?"

"Nothing. She said that I looked sick, and that's when all that shit happened." Setsuna paused because she started coughing. Zero looked down at her, watching her slip down to the ground in a crouch and cough as if her guts were going to come out of her mouth. "Sorry," she choked out when the fit was almost over. "I don't know what's wrong with me."

"You're walking with a limp, Hamasaki. You okay?"

"I'm fine! Good grief, everybody thinks I need their sympathy! I get sick once and need help, and all of a sudden everyone's noticing me and offering help." Setsuna didn't know where that came from. She just hated seeming weak.

"Come on, Hamasaki." Zero said sternly, lifting her off the ground and over his shoulder. "Did you lose weight?"

"That's not something you ask a fucking girl, Kiryuu. But yeah, I've been losing weight," she answered truthfully. "I don't know what's wrong with me though, and I can't afford to lose my job as a Hunter. Nobody's out there to support me, and by being apart of the Association, it's my only way to stay at the Academy."

"Time to get off." He set her down rather lightly, as if she would break. Brushing herself off, she gently pushed the door open. Zero's hand shoved the door open all the way, causing Setsuna to glare at him.

"Nurse?" Zero called.

"Yes, what is it Kiryuu-kun?" She asked, coming out of a room. She was surprisingly young, and quite pretty.

"I have a sick student, Hamasaki Setsuna. Would you please give her a checkup and some medicine?"

"Of course! Darling, come into that room and sit down anywhere. I'll be right there," she smiled as Setsuna quietly shuffled into the room.

"She's really sickly looking, Kiryuu-kun," the Nurse whispered before going into the room. "So, you're Hamasaki Setsuna?"

"Yes," Setsuna replied in a quiet voice.

"May I call you Setsuna?" When Setsuna nodded, the Nurse continued. "What's wrong?" The Nurse looked through cabinets and pulled out a bottle of Tylenol.

"I seem to be getting constant headaches for a while now, my left knee joint is killing me and I seem to limp whenever I walk, I've lost over twenty pounds in the last week, and I puke up whatever I scarf down."

"Are these all of your symptoms?" The Nurse asked.

"Yes," Setsuna replied.

"Setsuna," she began before sitting down across from her and putting a hand on her knee. "I want to send you with Kiryuu-kun to the Hospital in town to get some tests run. Just in case, because this isn't a normal cold. But I'm sure it's nothing. after all I'm only a school Nurse," she added when she saw the shock in Setsuna's expression.

"Can I ask you something?" Setsuna whispered.

"Go on, sweetie."

"What's wrong with me? Please don't try and protect me, I need to know." Setsuna was on the bridge towards breaking down.

"Setsuna... I can't be sure, but I hope it isn't anything serious.."

"Is that why you want me to go get tested?"

"Yes. I'll call in Kiryuu-kun and tell him to take you as soon as possible. I'll call the Headmaster as well to let him know you're going to see him before you leave."

All Setsuna could do was nod at the impending doom about to befall her.

* * *

Sitting in the waiting room of a Hospital was difficult for her. Zero was at the counter checking her in as she sat around, waiting. She watched as little children played with the toys placed everywhere. Some were just adorable, but some were bald. That made her think about the Nurse's diagnoses.

"Hamasaki Setsuna-san? This way, please," a quite handsome male ushered her towards the Doctor's office.

"Hello Hamasaki-san. I'm Dr. Akira Takahashi. Sit down, please." His smile was somewhat calming, and he seemed nice enough. "You may not remember me, but I was your doctor as a child."

"Oh, really? Then you must know he isn't my family," she mumbled and pointed towards Zero.

"I know. If you don't mind having him in the room, it's fine." Setsuna just looked away and sat down beside Zero on an examination table. "Hamasaki-san, I'm going to ask you to take off your shirt."

"Oh, uh, sure..." She looked away, embarrassed that Zero was sitting right there, as she stripped off her top, leaving her in a bra. Dr. Takahashi's hands felt around her neck and pressed against her stomach and abdomen before he allowed her to re-clothe herself.

"Hamasaki-san, are you bulimic?"

"Me? _Bulimic? _No!" She exclaimed, surprised she would be asked such a thing.

"Do you get headaches?"

"Well, yes, often enough. I guess the pain in my knee is from over working myself, but I do find myself with constant headaches, why?"

"I'm going to have you sent for a neurological examination. And then have you sent over for a brain scan," he explained. "Once I receive the results of your tests, I'll decide whether to have you take some more tests."

Setsuna gulped. "Okay," she replied in a soft voice, afraid that she would break down if she spoke any louder. Following Dr. Takahashi out, she glanced back towards Zero and waved before turning around.

_Please let it just be a headache and nothing more, please._

* * *

**Yee boii.**

**I finally updated!**

**Love~**

**I was inspired by Lurlene McDaniel. Go read her books.**

**NOW.**

**Love~**

**Wait till I update and rate/review please? I love reading your reviews. ^3^**


	5. Diagnoses

**A/N: Blahh. Looking back on No Turning Back, I swear my writing's gotten worse. **

**Forgive mee.**

**

* * *

**Setsuna was in the hospital for five days. Zero checked in once a day, every day after school was done. "Headmaster's orders," he claimed.

On the last day of testing, Setsuna was surprised to see Zero waiting patiently in a chair.

"Are you done?" Zero asked, getting up to meet the two. He had her uniform in one hand with a duffel bag, which, she assumed, was holding her change of bra and panties.

"Yes, but I'll have the results after a few days. I'll call your school to tell you when you can come down," Dr. Takahashi smiled, but leaned in and whispered into Setsuna's ear. "Would you like to come alone, or bring a friend?"

Setsuna shrugged in reply, trying to send out the message that she probably wouldn't bring anyone. "Do you have anywhere I could change into my uniform?" She asked the doctor.

"Yes, just go back into your room and change there. The new patient is in testing, he won't mind."

"Thanks," she muttered before slipping past the two boys.

* * *

"Kiryuu, I could've called you when I was done. How long were you waiting today?" Setsuna asked, swinging around and breathing in the fresh air. It had been a long time since she was outside, and it was refreshing.

"Since noon."

"But it's five. You could've gone back."

"If I went back without you, both the Nurse and Yuuki would've killed me."

"Oh," she muttered as she followed him, walking through town. "Kiryuu, go on ahead. I want to stop by a cafe and get something to calm myself."

"Where is it?" He asked, clearly annoyed.

"Just over there," she directed before breaking off from him and striding to the cafe. The parfaits there were amazing.

Just as she was about to swing open the door, her phone vibrated in her pocket and started singing to Lady Gaga's Dance In The Dark, her newest ringtone.

"Yeah?" She answered as she flipped it open, pushing her way through the two doors and slipping into a small booth.

"Are you okay, Setsuna? Boss said you went to the hospital when I called him," the voice on the other end wasn't one she recognized right away. It was deep, somewhat familiar. But she didn't know anyone with such a deep voice. Did she?

"Um.. Who is this?" She asked quietly, embarrassed.

"Danny."

Setsuna felt her heart leap into her throat. Of course, she was such an idiot. Danny was the partner she had for hunting before his parents took him abroad for years. And he was the only one other than her boss that knew her private cellphone number.

"Setsu, you still there?" He asked from the other line.

"O-of course, I would never hang up on you," she stuttered, surprised he still remembered her childhood nickname. "You're still calling me that after all this time?"

"Of course. What else do you want me to call you? Sex Sack?" He joked, causing Setsuna to stifle a laugh.

"Still the perv, I see. So why'd you call again?" Setsuna giggled.

"Boss said you went to the hospital. Is everything okay?" He asked hesitantly.

"Yeah, I'm waiting for the results of the tests. It's the one in town. Will..." She peeked up at Zero, who kept walking and showed no sign that he was aware of her. "Will you come with me to get the results when they arrive, if you're in Japan? Or listen over the phone? I need your support, as my favourite pervert," she teased to lighten up the grim expression she knew he had on his face.

"Of course, you didn't even have to ask. I would've stalked you to the ends of the Earth to help."

"Okay, boy, you're costing me lots of money. I can't chatter a while hour with someone calling me from the U.S., even if it is my beloved pervert."

"I didn't tell you? I'm back in Japan, dumb ass," he replied cheekily.

"You're fucking with me, right?" She asked. "You leave me for what, an eternity, and then suddenly decide to come back for me?" She asked, feigning shock.

"It was three years ago, and yeah, I'm fucking you," he teased.

"Would you like something?" A nervous waitress asked Setsuna, as if she were a shy mouse.

Setsuna looked up and pressed the phone to her chest. "A chocolate parfait please. And a green apple bubble tea," she said without hesitation. She had come here at times so she could relax but still be able to react if a Level E were to appear. "Sorry, I was ordering," she apologized..

"Still like sugar?"

"Duh. Stupid," she grinned. It had been such a long time since she genuinely smiled. "I could talk to you for hours on end without getting bored."

"Coming!" Danny called out on the other end. "Sorry, beautiful, but I gotta run. Bye, my dear bed buddy. I'll catch you later." Setsuna could hear the grin in his voice.

"Bye bye, my loving pervert," she replied before hanging up and pressing the phone to her chest. Trying to breathe deeply and collect herself despite her heart still pounding and her cheeks tingling. Despite the fact they were best friends, Setsuna had used to be head over heels in love with Danny since childhood. It was when he left that she had learned to move on, but with the surprise of him calling and telling her he's back, it brought back every emotion she had abandoned. And then she remembered she had to come back to reality.

She had new feelings for a damned Vampire. And a jerk-ish one too. But she couldn't deny that she was falling in love all over again, and it hurt to be torn between her old feelings and her new ones. Leaning against the window of the booth with her chin in her palm, she closed her eyes and listened to the clank of dishes and chatter of other people.

"Hamasaki?" A voice asked, the breath tickling her ear.

"Holy shit," she gasped, spinning to face the voice. "You scared me, bastard," she snapped. Sitting beside her was Aido, grinning cheekily.

"What're you doing here all alone?" He smiled. Setsuna stopped breathing for a moment. His smile was so mesmerizing.

"I just wanted something to eat," she mumbled, averting her eyes. She turned her head, trying to hide her reddening face.

"May I join you?" Aido asked, leaning in closer to her. She flinched, but nodded silently. He must've know that he was making her nervous. Why else would he continue to come closer? "What did you order?" He asked, leaning casually against her.

"A chocolate parfait and a-"

"Green apple bubble tea," the waitress finished, handing Setsuna her drink, but with two straws. Eying the waitress carefully, she watched as the girl shyly backed away, smiling at not her, but Aido.

"Thanks," she muttered before taking a sip.

"Two straws?"

Setsuna twitched as Aido's eyebrow shot up. Letting out a sigh, she muttered, "Go ahead."

"Thank you," he grinned before slurping down some of her drink. She let out a grunt of disapproval.

"Your chocolate parfait, miss." The waitress set down a rather large portion of a chocolate parfait, with two spoons.

Setsuna immediately took a bite, forgetting to say thank you to the waitress.

"Rather savage, wouldn't you say?"

"Shut up," she snapped, shoving another spoonful into her mouth. It ran on her tongue smoothly, like chocolate-y bliss. It made her almost forget her problem, until she began to cough.

"You okay?" Aido patted her shoulder awkwardly. He didn't know how to handle these kind of situations.

She could only nod.

"Here, some water," the waitress murmured, slipping a glass of water into her slim fingers.

"Thank you," Aido said, waving her away.

"I'm," she coughed again, "just fine."

"You don't see fine, Hamasaki. Want me to take you back?"

"No!" She shouted a little too quickly. "I mean, I don't want to go back yet." That was true. She didn't want to go back. She wanted...

_What do I want? _She asked herself.

"Your phone is ringing," Aido pointed out. Setsuna fumbled her pockets for the phone, flipping it open rather harshly.

"What?"

"You okay? Your voice was better just a moment ago." Danny was on the other end.

"Oh! It's you!" She managed to get out before chugging down the glass of water.

"Look behind you."

"Behind me?" Setsuna craned her neck and looked behind her. A boy, no taller than 6'2", with beautiful sea-green eyes and the same jet black hair as her stood, wriggling his fingers.

"Danny!" She shouted as soon as she registered it. Leaping from her seat, she ran towards him, springing into his arms. "I missed you!"

"You're taller now, Setsu." His smile was absolutely breathtaking. His teeth were perfectly aligned and pearl white, his face somehow perfectly illuminated with the expression.

"But you're even taller! And your hair used to be a darker brown, didn't it?" Setsuna was giddy. It was surprising to hear from him, yes, but to see him and see how beautiful he was, she became delighted, but what she couldn't see was the stare Danny was giving Aido.

"Mind if I join you?"

Setsuna just led him towards Aido, seating them across from the Vampire.

"Danny?"

"Hm?"

"This is Aido. Aido, that's Danny."

"Nice to meet you," Danny smiled politely, reaching across the table with a hand extended.

"Same here," Aido grumbled, but refused to shake hands. Setsuna kicked him underneath the table, and smiled politely. He let out a yelp.

"Something wrong?" Danny asked.

"N-nothing..." Aido winced as he rubbed his leg. Setsuna was strong.

Danny shrugged and took a sip of her drink. They had known each other long enough to know that they didn't need to ask permission for anything. It was just take and be hopeful you are allowed to.

"I'll get going now, it's almost curfew," Aido mumbled, excusing himself.

Setsuna shrugged and watched as Aido stroke off. She could see a wisp of orange colored hair. _Kain,_ she thought.

* * *

"Setsuna," Dr. Takahashi smiled as he led her and Danny into his office. "How has your head been?"

"Alright, the headaches are somewhat better." She smiled as Danny slid his hand around hers, locking their fingers together.

"Well, Setsuna, I don't like giving results, but I hate giving false hopes even more. I'll be honest with you during your treatment about your conditions," Dr. Takahashi had on a professional, stern look as he led the two of them to sit down.

"Treatment?" Setsuna was confused. What treatment was she going to get? How bad could a headache be?

"Setsuna, you're not going to like this."

"How bad could it be?" She whispered, holding onto Danny's hand tightly.

"You have a brain tumor."


	6. The Beginning of Us

**A/N: Muahaa.**

**I am evil. D Poor Setsuna. I gave her a low blow. But yes, tumors are a form of cancer, and it is very serious. Support those in need! (It's why I'm writing this story involving it.)**

* * *

"She has a tumor?" Danny asked, holding her hand tightly. "How could this have happened?"

"We don't know for sure, but it could be genetic."

"But my parents were healthy!" Setsuna protested, choking down tears that were brimming her eyes.

"It could be a relative from either side of the family," Dr. Takahashi reasoned.

"I don't have any living relative," she muttered, lowering her head. "But..."

"Setsuna, we're going to do the best we can, but the tumor you have is a Brain Stem Glioma tumor. It's consistent with your reports of headaches and nausea, and the tests we did last week can confirm it."

"What's going to happen to me?" She whispered, slouching against Danny for support.

"You said it was sudden, correct?"

"Yes.."

"Well, according to what we had found, it is a high grade tumor. We might not have the option of surgery for it, because we might damage the brain stem. We'll put you through a twelve week program with radiation therapy and see how that progresses. If the tumor stops growing at the rate it is now, we can perform surgery, but if it continues to grow, we'll do our best to make you as comfortable as you will be."

"Meaning, if it doesn't work, she'll die?" Danny asked, wrapping an arm around her.

"Yes."

"W-what if your tests were wrong?" Setsuna whimpered. "What if I'm perfectly fine?"

"There's no mistake in this, Setsuna. We cannot operate on a tumor bigger than five centimeters, and this one is already seven."

"What about school? What about my life?" She couldn't bring herself to ask, _What about hunting?_

"You can go to school normally, and you should continue your life as it is, but your hair will fall out during radiation." Setsuna instinctively grabbed her hair. It was going to fall out? "Don't worry, you can wear a wig for it," he reassured.

"And what'll happen to me after radiation?"

"We'll find that out after, but while you are being treated, you'll probably feel nauseated and have hearing problems. Hair loss is unavoidable. We'll start with shaving off the part of your hair where the radiation will be directed, but it'll fall out on its own after that. We'll have to tattoo markers onto that area for the radiation as well."

"How often is it?" Setsuna asked, clutching onto Danny's arm.

"Every day for the first four weeks, and then we'll see if it works as it should. If it does, we'll either set you up for a higher dose and you can get treated five times a week, or we can continue the daily sessions. It varies from fifteen to thirty minutes for each session, but you have to be very still. The nurse will explain the treatment to you more thoroughly on the day of," he smiled.

"So in other words, I'll be in here for twelve weeks?"

"First eight weeks," Dr. Takahashi corrected.

"Oh shit."

* * *

"Are you sure you want me to cut off this lovely hair?" The hairdresser asked, running her slim fingers through Setsuna's silky hair.

"Cut it right to my ears, and then trim it," Setsuna told her. "But make sure it's cut neatly, I want to donate the hair."

"That's so sweet of you," she smiled before taking a pair of scissors in her hands and tying Setsuna's hair into a loose pony tail. Setsuna shut her eyes tightly as she felt the slight tug on her hair. The scissors made a quiet snipping noise as they cut through her fifteen years worth of hair. "There, you can hold on to that while I trim the ends!" She squealed enthusiastically.

"Okay," Setsuna mumbled, taking her hair into her hands. She ran her fingers along the silky exterior of the bundle of hair, taking breaths as she heard the quiet sound of the scissors.

"Take a look!" The woman chirped, clapping her hands excitedly.

"Oh holy shit," Setsuna gasped as she looked into the mirror. Without her long hair, she looked so many years younger, and it made her cheekbones and jawline even more prominent. She looked beautiful.

"It suits you so well!" She clapped even more.

"Thanks," Setsuna muttered before throwing down a twenty and striding out of the salon.

* * *

"Setsuna, why're you leaving me?" Her roommate whined, lying down on her stripped bed. She watched as Setsuna grabbed clothes by the armful and folded them into her suitcases, secretly slipping in weapons with each shirt. She had already questioned Setsuna for hours asking why she had cut her hair, and she was beginning to make Setsuna want to stab her with one of those knives.

"Vacation."

"Stay, please! It's going to be lonely!" Her voice really was getting on Setsuna's last nerve.

"I can't." She mumbled before folding the last shirt and patting it in place. She moved to the washroom, opening a mirror and pulling out creams, face cleansers, nail polish, and makeup. She stuffed those into a small duffel bag before throwing that into the suitcase as well and zipping it up.

"Why not?"

"I don't want to be in this shitty place during the holidays!" She all but shouted. It wasn't true though; she would much rather be at Cross Academy than in some shitty hospital.

"Hamasaki, somebody's waiting outside the dorm for you," a girl called as she walked past the open door, knocking once. "He's hot," she added.

"Oh." She smiled a little, throwing a tote bag over her shoulder and wheeled the suitcase out the door, a small smile lighting her face. Her roommate trailed behind her closely, jumpy at the sound of the word 'hot'.

"Who is that?" Some girls murmur at the entrance of the Dorm, giggling.

"Setsuna," Danny grinned widely as soon as he saw her walk out. His teeth were perfectly straight and pearl white. "How do you feel?" He asked, putting an arm around her as he took her suitcase. She could hear disappointed whispers around her before the crowd of girls dispersed, leaving a few lingering behind to watch.

She leaned her head on his shoulder. "I'm okay, still can't wrap my head around this thing."

"That's okay," he whispered, patting her head. The tickle of his breath against her ear made her shiver in delight, her cheeks flushing. She was melting inside, but didn't know if he felt it too. "I like your haircut. You look beautiful."

"Thank you." Setsuna was smiling from ear to ear. "Danny?" She whispered against his chest.

"Yeah?"

"You're my best friend."

"You're mine." He smiled into her hair, leading her towards the car he had rented just to take her to the hospital. Pulling open the door for her, he watched as she stumbled into the passenger seat. "Are you okay?" He asked, leaning over to help buckle her in.

"Just peachy," she smiled before grabbing his shoulder and pulling him down towards her, so close their lips almost touched. "Hey, you _do _have pretty eyes," she breathed out. It wasn't like she never noticed, but rather she was looking for an excuse to be able to be close to him.

"So do you, Setsu," he whispered back, smiling. He took her chin in his hand and turned her head so that she looked away from the Academy. He leaned over and planted a soft kiss onto her cheek. Setsuna could feel her heart racing in her chest, threatening to burst with love for him.

"L-let's get going, Danny," she muttered, reluctantly letting go and pulling away from his warm body, shadowed in the afternoon sun.

* * *

"Hamasaki-san, you're going to be in this room. We tried to make a private room to your request, but no rooms were available for it." Setsuna raised an eyebrow. That must've been Danny's idea.

"Who's going to be her roommate?" He asked, pulling along her suitcase.

"Well, I'm not too sure on that yet, but until then, you have the room to yourself, Hamasaki-san." The nurse showed her how to work the bed, and the T.V., where the washroom was, and how to call for help. "Change into these for me," she told her as she handed Setsuna a loose-fitting hospital gown.

"Danny, you can go back," she whispered, pulling him into a tight hug.

"Are you sure?"

"I need some alone time, hun." She choked out the last word as she felt her eyes sting. Setsuna's teeth bit down hard on her lip, causing a salty pool of liquid to flood her taste buds.

"Okay, but if you need me, just call, okay?" He smiled, looking her straight into the eyes before kissing the top of her head and the tip of her nose.

"Am I interrupting something?" The nurse knocked on the door gently.

"No, no. I was just leaving," Danny flashed one last smile at Setsuna before walking away.

"Hamasaki-san, your roommate is here," the lady smiled, though it was ice cold. The other nurse was way kinder, Setsuna thought to herself.

"Hello there, beautiful," a low and husky voice said, walking out from behind the nurse. "I'm Katsutoshi. Just call me Kazu." He smiled at Setsuna, with his full lips curled back to show gleaming white teeth.

"Hello, Kazu. I'm Setsuna," she managed a small smile back.

"I'll leave you two to get acquainted then," the nurse smiled before backing out of the doorway, letting Kazu in with a small bag dragging behind him. "Good luck," Setsuna heard her whisper to the boy.

"So who was that? Your boyfriend?" He grinned, plopping down onto the bed facing the wall opposite to her.

"No, best friend."

"So he's out of the picture?" He grinned cheekily.

"No, he's not, and you're not in the picture." Setsuna kicked the suitcase underneath the bed and flopped onto the bed. It was okay, not unlike the one back in her Dorm room, but not exactly perfect either.

"What're you here for?"

"Cancer."

"CF over here," he smiled. He seemed to smile a lot, and that irritated Setsuna.

"CF?"

"Cystic Fibrosis."

"Oh. How old are you?" Setsuna peered at him from under her short bangs.

"Eighteen."

"I'm going to be sixteen on the eleventh of October."

"Canadian Thanksgiving," he told her automatically. "I was born there before I moved here."

"Why'd you move?"

"Because I knew I was going to meet you."

"Very funny, now answer me seriously." Setsuna grabbed her pillow and threw it towards him. He caught it no problem and threw it back, almost nailing her in the face.

"Because I liked it here on vacation, and wanted to be here permanently, especially if I'm dying. I might as well die somewhere beautiful."

"Live the moment," Setsuna told him before placing the pillow behind her head and leaning back into the puffy cloud. The sun was setting, and Setsuna couldn't keep her eyes open.

* * *

"Hamasaki?" A knock sounded at the door.

"Go away," she groaned from under the covers.

"Setsuna, who'd the dud?" Kazu asked from his side of the room.

"Dud?" She peeked out to see a head of messy blonde hair and blue eyes peering at her. "Aido?"

"Who else?" He asked, walking towards her and pulling out a bouquet of red carnations.

"For me?" She asked, a little flattered that he would buy her flowers. _Must feel sorry for me, _she thought.

"Of course," he smiled, placing the bouquet on the table before pulling up a chair and sitting down. "You cut your hair," he stated blankly.

"Yeah. It's going to fall out anyways, so I thought I might as well use it for something good. So I went and got it cut and had it donated for wigs for cancer patients-"

"You look cute." He interjected, reaching out and fluffing her hair a little.

"W-wha... Why're you here anyways?" She was flustered and tried to change the subject. Aido pushed his chair closer to her bed.

"I came to find out why you're not at school anymore, glaring at me from that tree branch you always sit on." He reached out and touched her cheek, tracing the outline of her cheekbone.

"W-well, now you know, so you can leave," she mumbled, averting her eyes.

"Why are you here?" He asked, touching her hair. She didn't know why, but her heart beat faster and faster and her throat closed up. She could feel her face flushing red.

"I'm here for radiation," she whispered, wanting to take hold of his fingers and stop them from making her all fluttery inside. She held that feeling in and leaned into his hand, enjoying the light brush of his fingertips against her skin, like satin.

"Radiation?"

"I have a brain tumor," she told him, keeping her eyes on Kazu. He held a steady gaze on Aido.

Aido kept silent for what seemed like a long period of time. In his head, he was thinking of how Kaname could change her and the disease would disappear, and all it took was a simply bite and exchange of blood.

"A-Aido?" She touched his cheek, waking him from his train of thought. Setsuna was usually cold to him. Was the tumor affecting her memory? He had thought she hated him. Guess he was wrong.

"Yes, Hamasaki?" He leaned back into the chair, and took a good look around for the first time. The walls were a pasty white, the curtains a dreary yellow and red floral pattern that was depressing to him. It seemed like a horrible place to be, compared to the luxury he was shown everywhere and especially in Cross Academy.

"You can go now," she told him, leaning back into her pillow. She looked so dreary compared to before, and she looked as if she was skinnier than the last time they had seen each other.

"Hamasaki-san, it's time to go down to radiation," a nurse smiled as she wheeled in a wheelchair.

"What's that for?" Setsuna asked.

"You need to be wheeled down."

"Oh," she mumbled, looking to Aido. "Bye then, Aido," she smiled a little and brushed her bare leg against his as she helped herself up. Looking to Kazu, she saw his arms were crossed. A hand took her arm and helped her settle into the wheelchair. It left her nerves on end and sent a tingle up her arm.

"Bye then, Setsuna," Aido smiled, leaning down and whispering something into her ear. She flushed immediately, her heart drumming in her ears. His soft lips touched her hollowed cheek before waving goodbye to her retreating figure.

_"I'll be waiting for you."_

* * *

**A/N: Hahahaaa!**

**I HAVE COMPLETED THIS CHAPTER! Longest one yet, just so you know. D**

**Rate and review please! I want to know what you think I can improve!**


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